Chapter 146: The Ominous Energy
If the sole purpose of this place—the secret realm—was for him to come to it, then he would gladly do so, but only if it aligned with his will. After all, as those words said, There is nothing that can escape my will. He would walk this path on his own terms, not anyone else’s. And even if those words weren’t meant for him, he would claim them as his own.
He recalled the figure’s question before he arrived at the secret realm: What of about your future? Although it seemed trivial, the question held significant meaning for him. His future was his to shape. Even if a road had already been laid before him, he was the one who would decide whether to take it. The sword, too, had told him he was already shaping his own destiny.
Though his belief seemed paradoxical, it was the truth he had grasped through his introspection. He was certain of it.
Looking at the symbol again, he felt a surge of gratitude. Though he didn’t know its true meaning, it had greatly opened his mind and given him enlightenment. After ensuring there was nothing more to uncover in the cave, he spoke to his group.
"I’ll step outside for a moment; I want to check something," he said. The others nodded in understanding, and Aldrian left the hall. He was confident now that there were no traps or formations here—reaching this place with the strength of this continent was impossible.
This place could only be accessed by him—or by anything connected to him, like...
"The blueprint."
Though neither he nor Mardred fully understood how Mardred had managed to reach this place, Aldrian had pieced together a theory. When the blueprint transformed into light, it became that symbol in the box. It must have left a mark on Mardred’s body, allowing an entity to take control of him and enabling him to bypass the natural formations of the Dragon Back Mountain.
Mardred had heard a voice before losing consciousness, one that had said, "You will be one of the people to open the path for his return." That confirmed it—Mardred’s sole role had been to lure Aldrian here. The key to all of this had been Aldrian’s desire to uncover the mystery of the missing blacksmith and investigate whether the blacksmith had ties to the devils, or to the creation of the artifact that helped the devils, allowing them to infiltrate nations across the continent.